West Ham painted an unflattering picture of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s Manchester United on Sunday afternoon with a commanding 2-0 victory over the visitors at London Stadium.
Without the injured trio of Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw, Man United’s attack floundered and West Ham’s midfield trio of Declan Rice, Mark Noble and Felipe Anderson did a solid number on United’s ponderous pairing of Nemanja Matić, Scott McTominay and Juan Mata.
This was a pointless iteration of the Red Devils, compounded by the fact that Marcus Rashford came off in the 61st minute with what appeared to be a thigh injury. Man United never looked all that capable of conjuring a goal, and Aaron Cresswell’s precise free kick in the 84th minute — giving the Hammers a two-goal advantage — settled things then and there.
West Ham was ascendant in the opening half, and that superiority was rewarded in the 44th minute through Andriy Yarmolenko.
The languid approach of Man United’s midfield had Mark Noble looking like David Silva in the buildup. The Hammers captain twisted and turned while operating in the space vacated by United’s setup, and he picked out Felipe Anderson at the top of the area. The Brazilian provided a delightful first-time ball for Yarmolenko, who got the better of Harry Maguire before rifling his effort past a despairing David de Gea.
Hammers strike first! pic.twitter.com/oKZEQqH5pg
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 22, 2019
Man United’s best opportunity came just after the second half restart, but Juan Mata couldn’t direct his effort at the back post on frame. The Spaniard had 81 forgettable minutes out there.
#LigaPremierTD ¡¿Qué le pasó al @ManUtd ?!
Frente al arco, @juanmata8 no logra conectar y se pierde una oportunidad clara para empatar ante el @WestHamWestham 1-0 Manchester United pic.twitter.com/wikVRwrpBD
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) September 22, 2019
Solskjær was forced to bring on Jesse Lingard for Rashford in the 61st, and then he threw on Fred and 19-year-old Angel Gomes in search of an equalizer. It never looked like happening, and Cresswell’s brilliant free kick in the 84th minute iced things.
Aaron Cresswell called game. pic.twitter.com/BdyBHIvCj6
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 22, 2019
For Man United, nothing makes for good reading. The club sits in seventh-place after six games. They haven't won an away match this season, and that unfortunate streak now extends into October.
Next up for the Red Devils is a League Cup encounter with Rochdale on Wednesday at Old Trafford. Victory won’t bring any relief, but a shock defeat would see some heads roll.
For West Ham, the win sees them climb up to fourth place. Manuel Pellegrini has brought stability and serenity to a club that’s notorious for its inner turmoil, and dreams of a place in European competition next season can now begin in earnest.
The18 Recommends For You
